Winter wear sales down in northern India as weather remains warm

Winters for the past two years have been among the warmest, during December to March, in north India that heavily impacted sales of winter clothing by almost 30%. This year, retailers have already tweaked their winter products mix, anticipating a shrinking of the cold period.Rasul Bailay | November 29, 2016, 08:18 IST

Winters for the past two years have been among the warmest, during December to March, in north India that heavily impacted sales of winter clothing by almost 30%. This year, retailers have already tweaked their winter products mix, anticipating a shrinking of the cold period.

“Winter product lifecycle earlier used to be between 45 and 60 days which, now, people have cut down to 30 days,“ said the chief executive of a global fashion apparel brand. “Over the past few years, there has been a massive shift from pullovers and wool to lighter jackets and sweat shirts.“

That might be the reason that sales of winter wear at the above mentioned foreign brand -that are generally higher ticket items -are 5% lower than other merchandise whose sales have declined 10% compared to this time last year, primarily on account of India's decision to scrap higher denomination currencies.

Stores in New Delhi have cut down feather jackets and heavy woollen sweaters to shore up their stock of sleeve-less Nehru jackets to light pullovers.

For instance, five years ago W for Women ladies brand would sell heavier outer wear in north and east India during winter months. Three years ago, the company cut the outer wear products to focus more on acrylic kurtas that are lighter and can be worn for an extended period during winter months.

“We experimented with outer wear but the last three years we have been playing heavy on winter kurtas which have become the bigger offering than outer wear,“ said Ananth Daga, chief executive of W.

Delhi and north India account for 30-40% of fashion and lifestyle retailers' revenue during the winter months. “These lighter versions are safer and run for a longer period as the heavy winter season is shortening,“ Daga said.

The shortening of winter is evident from the weather prediction for December. For example, December this year in Delhi -one of the largest winter wear markets -would see an average high temperature of 24 degree Celsius.

Brands are saying that tweaking of their winter product mix will lessen the impact of a warmer winter in north India, especially as retailers are reeling under pressure from the demonetisation. However, despite the tweaking, the warm spell in the north is prompting retailers to prepone the end of the season sale, that generally happens after Christmas, to mid-December, said Pushpa Bector, executive vice president for DLF premium malls division, that operates malls in NCR and Chandigarh.

“Sale is more to do with winter specific products, as they do not want to be held with a lot of such stock,“ said Bector. “This year they have been more alert.“

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